Technique for closing the corner of a flap: Half-buried horizontal mattress

The half-buried horizontal mattress suture combines elements of the horizontal mattress suture with a dermal skin closure and can be used to approximate the corner of a flap. The needle is introduced through the skin in the non-flap portion of the wound. In the dermal (or buried) portion of the suture, the corner of the flap is picked up horizontally through or just below the dermis. The suture loop is completed by bringing the needle out through the skin on the opposite side of the non-flap portion.